Breakdown of Menurut saya, rasa kopi ini pahit.
ini
this
adalah
to be
saya
I
kopi
the coffee
pahit
bitter
menurut
according to
rasa
the taste
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Questions & Answers about Menurut saya, rasa kopi ini pahit.
What does menurut saya do, and is it natural?
It signals that what follows is your personal opinion. It’s very natural in Indonesian (literally “according to me”). You can also move it:
- Kopi ini pahit, menurut saya. Variants by register:
- Neutral/formal: menurut saya, bagi saya
- Casual: menurutku, buat saya
- Very casual Jakarta: menurut gue
Can I drop rasa and just say the coffee is bitter?
Yes. Menurut saya, kopi ini pahit is common and natural. Using rasa (taste) makes the subject explicit as “the taste,” but it isn’t required.
Why is there no word for “is” before pahit?
Indonesian doesn’t need a copula with adjectives. pahit itself functions as the predicate. Avoid adalah before adjectives; Rasa kopi ini adalah pahit sounds wrong. Use adalah mainly to link noun to noun, e.g., Tujuan saya adalah kesehatan.
What exactly does rasa mean here, and when should I use it?
rasa = taste/flavor. Use it when you want to talk specifically about flavor as a noun (the taste of something):
- Rasa kopi ini pahit.
- Kopi ini rasanya pahit. (its taste is bitter) Without rasa, you’re just describing the coffee: Kopi ini pahit.
Why is ini after kopi and not before?
Attributive demonstratives follow the noun: kopi ini = this coffee. If you put ini first, it stands alone as a pronoun: Ini kopi saya = This is my coffee.
Should I use ini or itu?
- ini = this (near, current focus)
- itu = that (far/previously mentioned) So you could say rasa kopi itu pahit for a coffee farther away or just referred to earlier. Note itu can also mean “the aforementioned.”
Is the comma after Menurut saya required?
In writing, a comma after a fronted adverbial like Menurut saya is recommended. In casual text, it’s often omitted. In speech, it’s a natural pause.
How formal is saya here, and what are the casual alternatives?
saya is neutral-formal and safe with strangers or in polite settings. Casual options:
- aku/-ku: menurutku
- Jakarta slang: gue/gua: menurut gue More formal alternatives to menurut: bagi saya (formal), buat saya (casual).
How can I intensify or soften pahit?
- Very: sangat pahit (formal), pahit sekali (neutral), pahit banget (very casual)
- A bit: agak pahit, sedikit pahit
- Quite/pretty: lumayan pahit, cukup pahit
- Too: terlalu pahit
Does kopi pahit mean black coffee?
Often, yes: kopi pahit commonly means coffee without sugar (and usually without milk). kopi hitam means black coffee. In your sentence, pahit is just describing the taste, not naming a menu item.
What’s the difference between rasa kopi ini, rasanya, and rasanya… (seems)?
- rasa kopi ini = the taste of this coffee (explicit noun phrase)
- Kopi ini rasanya pahit = This coffee’s taste is bitter (possessive -nya)
- Rasanya pahit can mean “it tastes bitter” (context supplies the subject). In other contexts, rasanya can also mean “it seems/feels” (e.g., Rasanya dia sudah pergi), but here it’s about taste.
Can I say Saya pikir or Saya rasa instead of Menurut saya?
Yes:
- Saya pikir kopi ini pahit = I think this coffee is bitter (cognitive)
- Saya rasa kopi ini pahit = I feel/think this coffee is bitter (more colloquial/softer) Menurut saya frames it as an opinion; all are acceptable with slight nuance differences.
How do I ask someone else’s opinion with the same structure?
- Menurut kamu, rasa kopi ini pahit?
- Menurutmu, kopi ini pahit? (using -mu) More formal: Menurut Anda…?
How do I negate it?
- Neutral: Menurut saya, rasa kopi ini tidak pahit.
- Casual: Menurut saya, kopi ini nggak pahit.
How is the possession “of this coffee” expressed in rasa kopi ini without a word for “of”?
Indonesian typically uses noun–noun order for possession or “of” relationships: rasa kopi ini = the taste of this coffee; warna baju itu = the color of that shirt. No extra linking word is needed.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
- menurut: me-noo-root (roll or tap the r)
- rasa: rah-sah
- kopi: koh-pee
- ini: ee-nee
- pahit: pah-hit (pronounce the h)